Halo

New Orleans Saints fall to third in ProFootballTalk.com Week 15 Power Rakings...

1. Indianapolis Colts (14-0) (Last week: 2) (vs. Jets). Even if they don't try to win, there's no way the Colts will lose to the Jets.

2. San Diego Chargers (11-3) (Last week: 3) (at Titans). The second-hottest team in the NFL is waiting for it visit from the hottest team in the NFL.

3. Philadelphia Eagles (10-4) (Last week: 5) (vs. Broncos). If Donovan McNabb gets any more excited about his team's performances of late, he just might throw up.

4. New Orleans Saints (13-1) (Last week: 1) (vs. Buccaneers). In the grand scheme of things, losing to the Cowboys is not big deal. Losing to the Bucs would be.

5. Dallas Cowboys (9-5) (Last week: 13) (at Washington). If the Cowboys aren't careful, Jerry Jones might not be able to run off Wade Phillips.

6. Minnesota Vikings (11-3) (Last week: 4) (at Bears). Well, at least they won't have to worry about losing the Super Bowl for a fifth time.

7. Arizona Cardinals (9-5) (Last week: 9) (vs. Rams). The Cardinals have qualified for the postseason for the second straight year for the first time in nearly two generations.

8. New England Patriots (9-5) (Last week: 10) (vs. Jaguars). Randy Moss should focus some of his newfound football effort on shaving.

9. Green Bay Packers (9-5) (Last week: 6) (vs. Seahawks). The "Baby Swiss" nickname can now be applied both to the offensive line, and to the entire defense.

10. Cincinnati Bengals (9-5) (Last week: 7) (vs. Chiefs). The Bengals need to get refocused quickly, or they just might miss the playoffs.

11. Baltimore Ravens (8-6) (Last week: 12) (at Steelers). The teams that already have clinched playoffs berths are hoping that the Ravens don't get a chance to crash the party.

12. Denver Broncos (8-6) (Last week: 8) (at Eagles). In Denver, it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Christmas of 2008.

13. New York Giants (8-6) (Last week: 14) (vs. Panthers). Those 83 points scored in the past two games would have looked a lot better if the Giants hadn't lost one of them.

14. Tennessee Titans (7-7) (Last week: 16) (vs. Chargers). Less than three weeks after saluting one of the best running backs of all time, LaDanian Tomlinson will get a chance to salute the current king of the hill.

15. Miami Dolphins (7-7) (Last week: 11) (vs. Texans). After the Dolphins lost to the Titans, Sid Rosenberg of WQAM in Miami wanted me to give the Dolphins credit because they almost won. "Fine," I said. "They'll almost make the playoffs."

16. Houston Texans (7-7) (Last week: 18) (at Dolphins). With two wins in the last two games, the Texans will finish on the right side of .500 for the first time in franchise history. Hooray?

17. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-7) (Last week: 21) (vs. Ravens). The Steel Curtain is now a torn sheet of cellophane.

18. Atlanta Falcons (7-7) (Last week: 19) (vs. Bills). The Falcons still have a chance to finish two straight years with a winning record . . . for the first time ever.

19. New York Jets (7-7) (Last week: 16) (at Colts). Rex Ryan jumped the gun by saying his team has been eliminated from the playoffs. In five days, he'll be right.

20. Jacksonville Jaguars (7-7) (Last week: 17) (at Patriots). After three straight games at home, we wonder whether the Jags will be distracted by playing in a full stadium.

21. San Francisco 49ers (6-8) (Last week: 20) (vs. Lions). By publicly declaring that Alex Smith is the quarterback of the future, the 49ers are now in position to nab Tim Tebow before the Jaguars can get him.

22. Carolina Panthers (6-8) (Last week: 26) (at Giants). If a coaching change is coming, beating the Vikings likely won't alter that fact. But it might make John Fox an attractive candidate to become the new defensive coordinator of the Bears.

23. Buffalo Bills (5-9) (Last week: 23) (at Falcons). T.O. says he's looking forward to 2010. If it means getting an overpaid and underperforming off the payroll, so are the Bills.

24. Oakland Raiders (5-9) (Last week: 24) (at Browns). Some think Sunday's game was the start of a new era for JaMarcus Russell. We prefer to think of it as a blind, overweight squirrel tripping over a pile of acorns.

25. Washington Redskins (4-10) (Last week: 22). (vs. Cowboys). With an abrupt change at the top of the front office and rampant rumors that the next head coach already has been picked, it's amazing that this team lost by only 33 points.

26. Seattle Seahawks (5-9) (Last week: 25) (at Packers). Maybe the Seahawks should try to hire Mark Dominik and Raheem Morris.

27. Chicago Bears (5-9) (Last week: 27) (vs. Vikings). G.M. Jerry Angelo says that coach Lovie Smith's future hasn't been decided. Shouldn't Angelo worry about his own future instead?

28. Cleveland Browns (3-11) (Last week: 28) (vs. Raiders). Eric Mangini gets a chance to coach against the only team that might ever give him another shot at an NFL job.

29. Kansas City Chiefs (3-11) (Last week: 29) (at Bengals). It figures that the Chiefs would see a 20-year blackout string end for one of the franchise's most exciting games in two decades.

30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-12) (Last week: 30) (at Saints). Coach Raheem Morris might have saved his job by beating the Seahawks. And we're not sure whether he regards that as good news.

31. Detroit Lions (2-12) (Last week: 31) (at 49ers). Maybe a 2-14 finish will persuade the Fords to give Martin Mayhew and Tom Lewand yet another promotion.

32. St. Louis Rams (1-13) (Last week: 32) (at Cardinals). Is there a point where the NFL would rescind the franchise's victory in Super Bowl XXXIV?


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